WASHING OF BUTTER. 77 



The fluids and fats in it are of a most sensitive nature. Our 

 first care should be to prevent any contamination or chemi- 

 cal change by reason of unsuitable temperature, or exposure 

 to impurities. In short, the butter-globules are to be kept 

 clean, pure, in their natural state, and separated from the 

 surrounding fluid as soon as possible. For this purpose, we 

 set the milk : under favorable conditions most of the globules 

 rise to the top, and we remove what we call cream. 



Cream is simply rich milk, — that part of the milk which 

 contains the most fat and the least caserne and water; but 

 good cream is usually more than half water. More or less 

 of the fatty particles always remain in the skimmed milk. 

 The next step is to keep the butter from changing while in 

 the cream. The danger lies in the milk-sugar and caseine, 

 still mixed with the butter-globules, and which soon undergo 

 a change by fermentation : they " work," like common yeast, 

 and act upon the fatty cells. Hence the cream should not 

 be kept long, and while kept should be frequently stirred. 

 The reason for stirring is, that air may be admitted to the 

 cream, and mixed with it, and that retards the fermentation. 

 The next is to still further separate the fats, or butter, by 

 churning : this breaks the cells, or sacs, and the particles of 

 pure butter collect, or adhere to one another. Gather the 

 butter as we may, however, more or less water, and some 

 of the broken caseine shells, will remain in it. The only ob- 

 ject of "working" is to get these out. But the butter itself 

 may have its "grain," or consistency, much injured by this 

 mechanical action. The tendency of kneading, rolling, or 

 pressing, is to disturb the peculiar combination of the fats, 

 and make the mass soft and oily. This soft, oily, shiny look 

 is often seen in butter, and indicates over-working. The best 

 butter never shines : it has a dead golden hue, and dry, 

 solid, waxy appearance. Such working may open the little 

 cavities, and let water escape ; but it will carry off very little 

 of the caseine, and it is more important to get rid of that 

 than of the water. Whatever of the caseine is so removed 

 is done by the water, not by the manipulation, except as that 

 moves the water. 



Really, therefore, what is wanted is more water, and less 

 working: in short, wash the butter — wash it repeatedly and 

 thoroughly — with pure cold water : it is the surest way 



